Two repatriation flights are scheduled to arrive at Fua’amotu International Airport tomorrow, Wednesday, from Fiji and Kiribati confirmed Ministry of Health CEO, Dr Siale ‘Akau’ola. Tonga Police and military will cordon off the restricted areas from noon on September 2 until midnight on September 18.
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Tuesday 1 September 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga

Tuesday 1 September 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Unclaimed money totalling over $973,085 pa'anga, held in 1582 customer accounts by commercial banks in Tonga, will be transferred to the government and will become government property, if the accounts remain unclaimed. The account holders have until November to make their claims, the National Reserve Bank Tonga announced on 28 August.

Tuesday 1 September 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The village of Felemea, Ha’apai needs clean drinking water, and the challenge to find a solution has been taken up by a group of four student engineers from the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, as their team design project. The idea for the project came from Siale Faitotonu a technician at the University.

Tuesday 1 September 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The national CoViD-19 restrictions including a continuing curfew, have been extended from 8:00pm Monday 31 August to 8:00pm Monday 28 September 2020.

Tuesday 1 September 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Mikaele Hoponoa Pahulu (40) was sentenced to three-years imprisonment for beating up a 71-year-old patient at the Psychiatric Ward in Vaiola Hospital. The victim, who suffered a severe head injury, remains paralysed and is fed via nasogastric tube.

Tuesday 1 September 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Lord Fusitu’a has been re-elected, in absentia, as the Nobles' representative of Niuatoputapu and Niuafo’ou after a by-election was held at the Palace Office yesterday morning, 31 August. Lord Fusitu'a who suffered from failing health was evacuated to Auckland last year and remains in New Zealand.

Monday 31 August 2020
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Honiara, Solomon Islands
Solomon Airlines has today released details of the repatriation flight to Vanuatu, Tonga and Australia on Saturday September 5. It will also be the first repatriation flight from Tonga to Australia via the Brisbane Gateway and an opportunity for foreign nationals in Tonga to return to their home countries.

Monday 31 August 2020
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Bay of Islands, New Zealand
A fleet of boats have been gifted to the Vava’u Blue Water School in Neiafu, for Tongan youth to learn how to sail. The Vava'u community is fundraising to ship the boats from New Zealand to Vava'u.

Monday 31 August 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Manase Tonga (42) received a suspended prison sentence on August 28 at the Supreme Court for possession of cannabis, and also a rifle and ammunition without a licence, in two separate incidents in 2018-19. The court was told the accused had begun selling drugs because his work fixing water pumps at the bottom of the village wells presented health and safety hazards, and caused impairments that made it difficult for him to maintain his family.

Monday 31 August 2020
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Wellington, New Zealand
Five more Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunami (DART) buoys have been deployed to provide ongoing tsunami monitoring and detection information for New Zealand and Pacific countries, including Tonga.

Monday 31 August 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tonga has extended its State of Emergency due to CoViD-19 from 8:00pm today, Monday 31 August until 8:00pm Monday 28 September. However, details of the national restrictions including a curfew had not been released by close of business today.

Saturday 29 August 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tonga has been without a domestic air service for four months. While the owner of the privately owned Real Tonga Airline said he wanted to find a way to partner with government, all his staff have left the airline and joined a new government-owned venture, the Lulutai Airline Ltd., which is set to launch a new domestic service in September.

Friday 28 August 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A website raising awareness on cybersecurity was launched in Tonga today by the Minister for MEIDECC Hon Poasi Tei. GetSafeOnline Tonga aims to raise awareness about online risks and to educate businesses and individuals on how to protect themselves from online threats such as phishing scams, identity theft, ransomware, malware, and viruses.

Friday 28 August 2020
Abuja, Nigeria
Growing evidence shows that COVID-19 survivors can suffer from long-term health effects, not least heart-related complications. All countries with high rates of obesity should be considering programs encouraging weight loss, healthier eating, and physical activity. The more we can reduce the heart-related and other complications of COVID-19, the more lives we will save. By Ifeanyi M. Nsofor.
Friday 28 August 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Liufau Latu (30) was found guilty by a jury of reckless driving causing the death of his passenger Tevita Moa Taufa (27) last year in Fatai. He is detained in police custody for sentencing on September 25.

Friday 28 August 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Two men were arrested with methamphetamine and cannabis from a home in Mataika on August 21. They remain in police custody.

Friday 28 August 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
An Air New Zealand charter flight that arrived at Fua’amotu International Airport last night picked up Vietnamese and Sri Lankan nationals who had been working on a project in Tonga, confirmed Paul Karalus of Tonga's Air Terminal Services today.

Friday 28 August 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A repatriation flight from Fiji that was scheduled for Saturday, 29 August, has been deferred to next Wednesday, Ministry of Health CEO Dr Siale 'Akau'ola, confirmed last night. Meanwhile, a Hawkes Bay fruit grower has called Tonga's failure to repatriate its vulnerable young men and seasonal workers, who are left stranded in New Zealand, as “unconscionable” (shockingly unfair or unjust) .

Thursday 27 August 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Seven countries including Tonga have ratified the PACER-Plus agreement which will come into effect 60 days after the eighth country ratifies it.

Thursday 27 August 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The trial of five men charged with the murder of Sione Feimoefiafi (49) will start at the Supreme Court on Monday, August 31.
